


Handful of dust

by Kit



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Community: spoiler_song, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-30
Updated: 2011-07-30
Packaged: 2017-10-21 23:59:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/231337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kit/pseuds/Kit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>River is sent away. Speculative prompt response for bendingwind at spoiler_song snd the Guns & Curls ficathon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Handful of dust

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bendingwind](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bendingwind/gifts).



The body takes a long time to burn.

Every pop and crack of flame and flesh and wood seems to resonate in her spine, the taste deep in her throat, coating her all from the inside. The body burns as she breathes, and she can feel his hand on her shoulder: the full span of it reaching near the nape of her neck. He holds her. Shakes her lightly, and purple cloth flares bright, just for a moment, before collapsing back into the heaving, close mess of things.

She watches, until the Stormcage guards close in and the weight of his hand drawn back, leaving her skin stretched tight.

She is is surrounded; he pulls away. His eyes barely skate over her.

“The best man you've ever known, right there,” he says. “Good old Rory. Rory Williams.” His head jerks to one of the guards. “You lot, you _stay_ here with her. Until it stops burning. Don't take her away until then.”

She can barely see him around backs and shoulders and uniforms, clerical collars rising in a sea about her if she turns away from the flames. They do not let her turn away for long. And River has one final glimpse of his hand—long and large and fine, its wrist too long for the shirt.

“You did this,” he says. “You were right, my River. There is no hope for you.”


End file.
